Checkerboard



A ril 1, 1947. G. E. BENNETT ET AL 2,418,237

' CHECKER BOARD Filed April 14, 1944 V s s s z 1 HZ 52 u 12 HZ HZ 1 Mil/A f Garry E BnnZZ' MMAWQ Ci't orriegs Patented Apr. 1, 1947 1 CHEQKERBOARD Garry E. Bennett, Hawthorne, Nev., and Laura :M:. Bennett, Long Beach, Calif ApplicationApril 14, 194 Serial No. 531,014

4 Claims. (crave-#13 The present invention relatesto improvements in checker boards and has for an objectto provide an" improved. checker board and checker holding devices in association with the checker board for the purpose of making checkersgan'd other like games and puzzles, available to bedridden patients in any-degree of convalescence.

The above object is accomplished generally by numbering the squares f'cheCker boardsandcutting slots in-each squareto receive the legs of'an insert shelf; such shelf beingof suflicient design and serving as a support for the game pieces or men, and-to retain the latter against accidental sliding' across the board;

It'ig another object of the invention to provide an improved shelf to'support checkers, chessmen orthe like gamepieces, even should the board be supported in aposition just short. of perpendicular;

Astill further object of the invention is tofprovide a numbering systemiorthe squares of the checker boardin such wise as tofacilitate the recordingjof" the movesas made and to make it unnecessary to orient the board in any particular position for purposes of play.

A still further object of the invention isto produce an improved form of checker board which will enable two invalidsin bed alongside each other to play competitively by eachusing hisown individual board and makingthereon not only his own moves but also duplicating. his opponent's moves.

Withthe foregoing and, other objects in view, the inventionwill bemore fully described hereinafter, andwill be more particularly pointedout in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols. refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the. several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an improved checker board'and shelf devices constructed in accordancewith thepresent invention,

Figure 3 isa .sectiomtakenon an enlarged scale, onlthe'line 33in Figural.

Figure 4 is a similar view, on a sl ghtly: larger scale, showing the method of introducing one of the shelf feet into the slot and, socket.

Eigure 5, is a cross section taken on the, line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6, is a perspective view of one form. of the insert shown apart from the board.

Figure .7. isa fragmentary plan view of a. game board showing a modified form of; pocket device.

Figure Sshowsa still further modifiedform of round hole in the board and peg foot of the shelf.

Referring more particularly-to the drawings l0 designates a checker board of any approved form having squares H and t2 alternating and of dark and light contrasting colors, all in accordance with the conventional form of the checker board.

Ordinarily the dark squares are used. for the playing surface and the game is conventionally played crosswise of the center folding line l-3of the board. However as We Wish to number the squares, and as numbers may not be so readily seen upon the dark surfaces of the squares, we preferred to turn the board so that the light colored squares 12 may be employed forthe game surface and to receive the game piece and on which thegame pieces are moved from one light colored. square 2 to another. In order to accomplish this the board is turned at a angle from the position conventionally played so that the center folding line !3 is now perpendicular to the top and bottom of theboard. By turning board 9OP,.line 13 supports board in perpendicular position. Gtherwise, top half of board would fold on bottom half when perpendicular.

In accordance with one phase of the invention thelight colored playing squares [2 are marked with numbers in two sets, one pair of numbersto each playing square #2. The numbers are in an arithmetical series beginning with the number 1 at the top of the'board with the playing square [2 in the uppermost left hand corner, and proceeding transversely across the board in the top row of playing squares, thenceras in the manner of reading, to the second horizontal column of q s beginning at the left edge of the board and progressing toward the right edge of the board. This sequence is continued, as indicated clearly: in Figure 1 until all thirty-two of the light colored playing squares [2 are numbered; The numbers are repeatedin theupper corner portions of each square i2 so that either number may be clearly seen evenif the other number is obscured by'the checker or game piece owing to theffact that the player has carelesslymoved it into an 01? center position on the. square. Both dark and light squares should be numbered progressively so the boardlcan be-used; for chess as well,

Then the board is reversed sothat what was heretofore the. top of: the boardnow becomes the bottom and is toward the person who. is inscribing the numeral system upon theboard. This person then begins in the upper lefthandcorner'of the board and repeats the numbering system. Thus there are four numbers on each playing square I2. One number is in each corner of the square. Two of the numbers are relatively reversed to two of the other numbers so that the square originally numbered 1 is also invertedly numbered 32. This system of numeration makes the board reversible so that there is no top or bottom. In other words the board may be played from either end toward the player without the player having to select some particular edge of the board as the top. The board may be opened casually and does not have to be oriented to any particular position. All that the player need do is read the numbers which are upright to him. He disregards the inverted numerals. If the board is numbered for chess, then each square should have two slots or holes to receive Figure 6.

The board I is slotted as to each playing square l2, two slots l4 and I5 being made all the way through the board, one such slot at one side of each playing square l2 and the other slot l5 at the opposite sides. These slots are made at an intermediate portion of the square l2. With advantage they are made on a substantially median horizontal line through the square 12. At the bottom of the board each slot communicates with a lateral socket l6, I! which socket opens downwardly through the lower face of the board but does not open through the upper playing surface of the board, there being shoulders I 8, l9 forming the roofs or ceilings of the sockets l6, l1.

Insert pieces of Shelf devices have legs 20, 2|

with outturned feet 22, 23 adapted to be received in the slots and lateral sockets in the manner indicated in Figures 3, 4 and 5. For the purpose of facilitating insert and removal the upper free corner portions of the feet 22 are truncated or cut away, as indicated at 2t while similar cut away portions 25 are made at the inside bottom corner portions of the legs 2|. portions give sufficient clearance for ease in inserting and removing the legs and feet as indicated in Figure 4.

Between the feet is a flexible shelf 26 which is longer than the distance between companion slots l4 and it: so that when the legs and feet are engaged in these slots and their companion sockets, the shelf strip 26 is obliged to assume an arcuate or curved form as indicated in Figure 1. This forms a pocket for receiving the checkers 21, 23. The shelf 26 will be deep enough to receive two superimposed checkers as indicated in Figure 3 in the king position. The shelf 26 is preferably high in its central portion with its top edge rounded downwardly toward each leg 20, 2|. The bottom edge of the shelf 26 will be flat or horizontal to lie throughout in its contact with the upper or playing surface of the checker board l0.

With a board numbered, slotted and socketed as to each of its playing squares I2, as above described, one foot 22 of a shelf is introduced down through the slot l4 and turned into the socket "3'. Figure 4 shows the cut-away portions 24 and 25 simultaneously providing clearance for the corner portions of the' slot and socket. In moving the foot 22- home into the socket H, the shelf 26 will be rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, to bring its other foot 23 down toward the opposite slot I 4, socket it into which it is introduced after the shelf strip 26 is flexed sufficiently to enable the leg 2| to assume a position over the slot I4.

These cut away 'propriate pins or other fasteners Figure 5 shows the completion of the insertion, and Figure 1 shows the curved or flexed condition of the shelves 26 which may be made of paper, cardboard, mica, cellophane or any other desired material.

The length of each shelf strip 26 will preferably be suchthat when flexed it will describe an are or semi-circle of a radius which will bring a curved shelf wall within the numerals so as not to obscure the same, although this is not particularly important as the shelf strips are flexed downwardly or toward the player and the lower numbers need not be read. These curved shelves are open at their upper sides to receive the checkers or game pieces. Checkers have rounded surfaces and the curvilinear shelves 26 are peculiarly adapted to receive and to retain the same no matter what the inclination of the board, it being understood that invalids in bed are not in position to have horizontal flat table supports for the boards but when the patient lies in a supine position in the bed the checker board may be held almost vertically with the checkers in the pockets and still the game may be conveniently played with fidelity without the checkers falling oif the board or casually sliding from one space to another. The method of play is not in any wise altered or changed. Regular checkers can be used but chess might demand a new and different type of piece. A piece of cardboard cut so that it was a silhouette of each of the required chessmen or a regular chessman sawed in half through the perpendicular would be satisfactory provided the bottom was rounded to fit the shelf.

In use, two patients in beds alongside each other would each be provided with a separate checker board and with a complete set of checkers both for his own moves and for those of his opponent. His own men would be on the side of the board toward each player and the opponents men would be on the upper side of each board,

so that each player will have a complete replica of the game before him at all times of play.

As shown more particularly in Figure 8, a modified form of shelf is shown in which the foot is a round peg 2i! fitting in a round hole M in the gameboard which round holes replace the slots at opposite sides of each playing square.

Referring more particularly to Figure 7 of the drawings, a modified form of shelf is shown in which a series of shelves 26 are molded in one piece and extend the entire width of the board, being fastened to the edges of the board by ap- 48. In this way slots in the board are eliminated and individual shelves are provided for each playing square. This would require eight such pieces 26 one for each row of playing squares, each piece being astened so that it extends parallel to the top and bottom of the board.

It is obvious that various changes and modiflcation may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described What is claimed is:

1. An improved gameboard comprising a board having spaces, arcuate game piece shelf strips having legs and angular feet, said board having means to interlock with said legs and feet to hold the'strips over the spaces at substantially a 90-degree angle with reference to the playing surface of said gameboard.

2. An improved gameboard comprising a board having spaces, each with two openings, one at each side of the space, flexible shelf strips, each longer than the distance between said two openings, said strips having means to interlock in the openings and to hold the strips in curved form substantially perpendicular to the playing surface of said gameboard.

3. An improved gameboard comprising a board having spaces, each with two openings, one of each side of the space approximately at the median portion thereof, said board having on its underside lateral shouldered sockets communicating with said openings, and flexible resilient game piece shelf strips having legs and outturned feet with truncated corner portions adapted to be detachably received into and interlocked with said openings and sockets.

4. An improved gameboard comprising a board having spaces, each with two openings, one on each side of the space approximately at the median portion thereof, said board having on its underside lateral shouldered sockets communicating with said openings, and flexible arcuate game piece shelf strips having legs and outturned feet adapted to be detachably received into and interlocked with said openings and sockets.

GARRY E. BENNETT.

LAURA M. BENNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,273,932 Caesar Feb, 24, 1942 1,595,285 Bevan Aug, 10, 1926 1,441,386 Truskoski Jan. 9, 1923 407,855 Dreyfuss July 30, 1889 814,438 Framke Mar. 6, 1906 1,586,111 Osborn May 25, 1926 2,260,892 Erle Oct. 28, 1941 1,716,022 Baker June 4, 1929 509,316 Lapliam Nov. 21, 1893 1,996,986 Weinberg Apr. 9, 1935 1,546,831 Fritz July 21, 1925 529,602 Von Catzhausen Nov. 20, 1894 1,919,687 Deline July 25, 1933 

